Extension-step for cars.



D. JONES.

V EXTENSION STEP FOR GARS. APPLICATION FILED DEO.23,1908.

Patented Ju1y13, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID JONES, OF PAUL, ILLINOIS.

EXTENSION-STEP FOR CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID J ONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Paul, in the county of Pope and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Extension-Steps for Cars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to extension steps for cars, the object of theinvention being to provide a simple construction of extension step andmeans for pivotally mounting said extension step upon the main steps ofa car whereby the same may be readily pro j ected below the lower mainstep for use and retracted so as to rest when not in use upon one of thesuperposed main steps, and whereby the said extension step will befirmly held and braced in both positions.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the main steps,showing in full and dotted lines the extension step in retracted andprojected positions. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 3 isa detail view illustrating a different manner of mounting the extensionstep.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the side rails of the main stepsof a railway car, such as customarily employed on each side of each ofthe end platforms of the car, and 2, 3 and 4:,respectively, designatethe main steps, which are fixed to the rail. It will, of course, beunderstood that the frame work and main steps may be of any constructionin common use, and that no restrictions are made in this particular.

The supplementary step 5 is coextensive in size or substantially so,with each of the main steps, and is pivotally mounted so as to be swungto a retracted position over upon the main step 3, as shown in fulllines in the drawing, and to be projected to hang below and in advanceor outwardly from the main step 2, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.To this end, the said supplementary step is secured at its sides to thefree ends of a pair of swinging bracket arms 6, each comprising a bodyportion 7 having angularly bent ends 8 and 9 projecting in reversedirections. The free ends 8 are secured in any suitable manner to theside edges of the supplementary step, while the ends 9 are piv-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 23, 1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Serial No. 468,942.

otally connected with the side rails 1 of the main steps by pivot pinsor bolts 10, the length of the bracket arms being such and the pivotpins being so arranged as to permit the supplementary step to be swungto the described retracted and projected positions.

The angularly bent ends 9 of the bracket arms are so arranged as to restsquarely against the lower main step when the supplementary step isretracted, so that the bracket arms will serve as braces to sustain thesteps 3 and 5 against the pressure of the weigl'lt of persons steppingthereon, and said ends 9 are also adapted to bear against the step 2, insuch. a manner as to allow the adjacent extremities of the body portions6 of the brackets to bear against the front edge of said step 2 tosupport and sustain the supplementary. step when projected in a firm andstable manner, thus obviating the use of auxiliary supporting devices.At their points of connection with the angular ends 8, the freeextremities of the body portions of the brackets are offset or bentoutwardly, as at 11, in a direction away from the end 8 and in the samedirection in which the ends 9 extend, which ofl'set portions aredesigned to permit the supplementary step to be swung fullyover upon themain step 8 and to also serve as hand-holds or grasps by which thesupplementary step may be manually swung to projected and retractedpositions. It will thus be seen that during the running of the train,the supplementary step may be folded upwardly to an out of the wayposition in which it will be supported by the second main step 8, andthat when the train reaches a station, the supplementary step of themain steps at the side of the train facing the station may be turneddownwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, to enablepersons to ascend and descend the main steps with facility, thesupplementary step taking the place of the box commonly employed betweenthe ground or platform and the lower main step 2.

Instead of pivotally connecting the lower ends of the bracket armsdirectly to the main rails 1, supporting plates 12 may be secured tosaid rails, and each supporting plate may be provided with a pivot pinor stud 13 on which the bracket arm 6 is pivotally mounted, and may alsobe provided with a stud or projection 14 serving as a stop to limit thedownward movement of the bracket arm when the supplementary step isprojected, and to sustain and brace said arm. Either of these modes ofmounting the bracket arms may be employed in practice.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. The combination with the main steps of a railway car, of asupplementary step shorter than said main steps, and bracket arms forsupporting said supplementary steps, each of said bracket arms havingintegral right angularly bent ends projecting in reverse directions inparallel relation and provided adjacent one of said end portions with apronounced oflset, said ends of the bracket arms being secured to theside edges of the supplementary step to swing the said step over uponone of the main steps and to occupy the spaces between the ends of saidsupplementary step and sides of the main steps when the supplementalstep is folded, the other ends of said bracket arms being pivotallymounted upon the sides of the main step to permit the arms to be swungdownward or upward to vertical position and to rest in both positionsupon the lower main step, the said offsets being adapted to extendoutwardly from and without contact with the upper main step on which thesupplementary step is adapted to fold, to permit said supplementary stepto rest squarely upon the main step, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the main steps of a railway car, of asupplementary step shorter than said main steps, and bracket arms forsupporting said supplementary steps, each of said bracket arms having integral right angularly bent ends projecting in reverse directions inparallel relation and provided adjacent one of said end portions with apronounced offset, said ends of the bracket arms being secured to theside edges of the supplementary step to swing the said step over uponone of the main steps and to occupy the space between the ends of saidsupplementary step and sides of the main steps when the supplementalstep is folded, the other ends of said bracket arms being pivotallymounted upon the sides of the main step to permit the arms to be swungdownward or upward to vertical position and to rest in both positionsupon the lower main step, the said ofi sets being adapted to extendoutwardly from and without contact with the upper main step on which thesupplementary step is adapted to fold, to permit said supplementary stepto rest squarely upon the main step, and stop devices on the sides ofthe main steps for limiting the downward pivotal movement of the bracketarms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID JONES. Witnesses:

GUY GLASS, LUKE GILLIAM.

